Remote-control mechanism



C. F. HOPEWELL.

REMOTE CONTROL MECHANlSM..

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1920.

' \nvenTor. Charles F. Hopewe v arr stars BROTHERS, OF WATEBTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, A COPARTNERSHIP GOIVIPOSEID CHARLES F. HOPEWELL AND HELEN C. HOPEWELL.

CHARLES E. HOPEWELL, F WATEBTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 I-IOPEWELL ant REMOTE-CONTROL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug-.11, ioa'a.

Application filed September 8, 1920. Serial No. 408,964. I

- WELL, a citizen of the United States, and

resident of "Watertown, county of Middlesex, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Remote-Control Mechanism, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in remote control mechanism for positioning a device-exerting tension either by reason of the weight of the device or by the force of the spring or other means applied thereto and the object of the invention is to provide means operable by the movement of an ac-.

tuator in one direction to lock said device at successive steps through a predetermined range of movement and, upon movement beyond said predetermined range, to release said locking mechanism and permit the device to return toward original position.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for restoring the locking means to original position during such return movement.

-By reason of such constructiona ready and convenient actuation of the device is made possible as the mechanism for restoring the device to normal position is entirely automatic.

Various applications of this broad principle may be made as will be obvious to those skilled in mechanics.

A preferred embodiment'of the invention is illustrated herein as applied to a radiator shutter for internal "combustion engines, the remote control device being. connected with the louvers of the shutter in such a manner as to enable the operator readily to control the amount of air which passes through the radiator shutters so as to maintain the water in the radiator and water jacket of the engine at a substantially uniform temperature and "also to permit the louvers to be closed quickly and automatically by the movement of the actuator beyond a' predetermined range of opening movement of the louvers.

Other objects and features of the inventionwill more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawin sand will be nexed 0 same.

pointed out in the. an.-

A preferred embodiment of the. invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile radiator, showing in section the radiator hood and shutter with the. improved means for operating the louvers of the shutter applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the louvers andlouver operating mechanism viewed from the opposite side to that illustrated in Fig. 1, the hood and frame being shown in section,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism H for actuating the louvers, and,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a lever mechanism secured to the instrument board of an automobile, or other machine, for actuating the louvers.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lower pertion of an automobile radiator, the radiator hood and shutter being shown in section.

The preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein comprises a rectangular frame 1, which may be formed of angle irons, of a size to enclose a part of the'cellular portion of the'radiator, having pivotally mounted thereupon a series of louvers 2. comprising sheet metal plates 3, the upper ends of which are bent over to embrace the pivotal shafts 4: which are supported in suitable journals in .the side walls of the frame 1.

The lower end of each louver, except the lowermost, overlaps the upper end of the louver next beneath. These louvers preferextends beyond the overlapping portions of the louvers and prevents rattling, and also serves to provide a tight closure when the louvers are in closed position.

The frame 1, as illustrated herein, is rectangular in form and is composed of plates or angle irons forming a base which is 'secured to the usual waterpr'oofed fabric radiator hood cover around'the opening infront of the cellular portion of the radiator, thev louvers of the usual form being pivotally mounted in the flanges of the angle irons which extendat right angles to said base.

.It will be understood, however, that the frame may, if desired, be mounted directly upon the radiator itself or that the louvers may be supported in special bearings provjectingfrom the radiator wall. 1

flanges are pivotally connected to a bar, or

' bars, 7 which will enable the louvers to be swung in unison about their pivots. Any suitable means may be provided for swinging the louvers from closed toward open position. In the present invention the device which is employed to open the louvers is also provided with means for locking the louvers at different'positions so that the amount of air which enters the radiator may be controlled readily by the operator.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the bar 7, which connects the louvers, is pivotally connected preferably at its upper end to an actuator preferably in the form of a sector-shaped pawl carrier 8 which is pivotally mounted upon a stud 9 carried by a toothed sector or ratchet 10 having a laterally extending flange 11 which is suitably secured to the side wall of the frame 1. The upper portion of the pawl carrier is provided with a laterally extending member or flange 12 which desirably has upwardly extending stamped loops 13 to receive a pin 14 to which is connected a flexible member, such as a wire or cord 15, which leads to the instrument board of the machine. i

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the wire 15 passes upwardlv through a grommet16 in the radiator hood, thence through a protecting Wire coil 17 which is located in one of the cells of the radiator and thence to the instrument board. As shown in Fig. 4, the wire 15 after passing through the instrument board 18 is connected to a lever 19 which is pivotally mounted upon'a bracket 20 secured'to the instrument board.

A suitable stud upon the lever 19 may be provided to engage suitable recesses 21 in the bracket to hold the lever 19 in adjusted position and also to indicate to the operator the position of the louvers. This mechanism, however, is not intended as alocking mechanism for holding the louvers in adjusted positions. Y

The means for locking the louvers in adjusted position comprises a pawl 22 which is pivotally mounted upon a stud 23 upon the pawl carrier 8 and has a tooth 24 which is adapted to engage the teeth 25 of the toothed sector 10. The pawl'22 may conveniently be formed of sheet metal provided with a laterally bent flange or boss to form the tooth 24. The pawl 22 also desirably is rovided with an offset extension or tail 26 adapted to overlie the opposite side ofthe toothed sector 10 and to provide means for restoring the pawl into engagement withthe toothed sector after the same has been automatically released by the 'mechanism which will hereinafter be described, the tail 26 of the pawl being adapted to engage a and 'at its opposite end to a laterally bent flange 29 at the end of the pawl carrier, serves normally to hold the tooth 24 of the pawl 22 in engagement with the. teeth of the toothed sector. This spring is so.positioned that if the pawl 22 is oscillated about its pivot 23 the spring 22 will pass across the pivot 23 and acting upon the pawl from the opposite sideof said pivot will withdraw the tooth 24 of the pawl from engage ment with the teeth 25 of the ratchet. By

providing suitable means for causing the; pawl 22 to be thus oscillated'the pawl may be released from looking engagement with the teeth 25 when the louvers are raised above a predetermined position, such as their fully opened position.

A convenient means for thus oscillating the pawl 22 consists in providing the toothed sector 10 with an oflfset boss 30 lying in the path of an extension 31 of the pawl so that as the pawl carrier is raised upwardly to open the louvers the extension 31 of the pawl will engage the offset boss 30 when the louvers are raised above fully open position.

Further upward movement of the pawl carrier will then oscillate the pawl 22 about its pivot 23 thereby Withdrawing the tooth 24 of the pawl from engagement with the teeth of the sector. This oscillation of the pawl upon .the pawl carrier also causes the spring 28 to pass to the other side of the pivot 23 so that the-spring will thereupon assistdn removing the pawl from engagement withthe toothed sector and will withhold the pawl from such engagement, thereby permitting the louvers to return to original or closed position. I

The weight of the louvers and other parts of the mechanism may be sufficient to cause the same to return to closed position when 1 10 thus released, but if desired this action may be facilitated by a spring tending to depress the louvers to closed position. A convenient form of spring for accomplishing this pub pose is illustrated as comprising a wire spring 32 which encircles the pivotal shaft 4 of the lowermost louver and at one end bears upon the stud 33 which connects said louver to the bar 7 and at its other end endiator, the position to which the louvers are 130 thebase of the frame 1 under suflicient tenslon-to cause the proper operation machine to which time, by actuating the lever 19,

ermit the denaaaaio open being indicated to the operator by the position of the lever 19 upon the bracket 20. In order to close the louvers the operator pulls the lever 19 far enough to cause the extension 31 of the pawl 22 to engage the boss 30 upon the toothed sector, thereby reversing the position of the pawl and withdrawing the tooth 24 of the pawl from ongagement with the teeth 25 of the sector,

The spring 28 thereupon serves to withhold the pawl from engagement with the toothed sector'so that the louvers are permitted to returntoward norutal position. As the pawl carrier is rotated about its pivot during this returning movement of the louvers the tail 26 of the pawl engages the stud 27 upon the toothed .sector 10 so that further movement of the pawl carrier 8 causes the pawl to swing around its pivot 23 into engagementwith theteeth of the sector. During this pivotal movement of the pawl the spring 28 again crosses'the pivot 23 and actsthercafter to hold the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the toothed sector as above described.

It will be understood'that the embodiment of the invention disclosed hereinis of an illustrative character and that various modifications in construction and arrangement 30 of parts-may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A remote control mechanism for a device under tension comprising a stationary ratchet, an actuator, a pawl carried by said actuator, engaging said ratchet, operable by the movement of said actuator in one direc- 40 tion to lock said device at successive steps throughout a predetermined range of move-' ment and means operable upon movement therebeyond to release and to withhold said actuator from engagement with said ratchet and permit the device to return toward original position and means for restoring sai during the final portion of said returning movement.

2. A remote control mechanism for a device under tension comprising a stationary ratchet, an actuator, a pawl pivotally 'mounted on said actuator having a spring acting'normally, at one side of the pivot uponwhich said pawl is mounted, to hold said pawl in engagement with said ratchet and operable by the movement of said actuatorin one direction to lock said device at successive steps throughout a predeterminedrange of movement, means operable upon I movement therebeyond to oscillate said pawl upon its pivot out of engagement withthet ratchet and sufliciently to throw the line of action of said spring upon' the other side at of said pivot thereby causing said spring to pawl into engagement with said ratchet retain said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet and means for restoring said pawl into engagement with said ratchet during movement of the actuator in the opposite direction.

3. A remote control mechanism for a movable device under tension comprising a sector having a ratchet, a pawl carrier pivotally mounted on said sector connected to said device, a pawl pivotally mounted on said pawl carrier having a tooth engaging said ratchet and tails extending on opposite sides of said ratchet, means on one side of said pawl carrier operable by the movement of the pawl carrier beyond a predetermined position to engage one of the tails of said pawl and release said pawl from engagement with said ratchet to permit said device to return to normal position and means on the other side of said ratchet operable to engage the other tail of said pawl and restore saidpawl to engagement with said ratchet at'the end of said return movement.

4:. A device of the class described comprising a series of pivotally mounted louvers normally maintained in closed position, means for swinging the same toward open position, pawl and ratchet mechanism operable to lock said louvers at different positions and means, operable when said louvers are swung beyond a predetermined position, to reverse said pawl and thereby release said locking means whereby said louvers may return to normal position.

5. A device of the class described comprising a series of pivotally mounted louvers normally maintained in closed position, means for swinging said louvers toward open position, pawl and ratchet mechanism operable to lock said louvers at different positions and means operable when said louvers are swung beyond a predetermined po sition to reverse said pawl and thereby release the same from said ratchetmechanism whereby said louvers may return to normal position and means for restoring said pawl into engagement with said ratchet durlng said return movement.

I 6. A device of the class described comprisin a'series of pivotally mounted louvers I norma ly maintained in closed position,

means for swing-ing said louvers toward prisin a series of pivotally mounted louvers norma ly maintained in closed position,

' means for swinging said louvers toward open position, pawl and ratchet mechanism operable to lock said louvers at difierent positions comprising a toothed sector,

on said pawl carrier normally engaging the teeth of said sector, means operable when said louvers are swung beyond a predetermined position to release and withhold said pawl from engagement with the'teeth upon said sector whereby saidmlouvers may return to normal position and means for restoring ,v the teeth prising a frame said toothed sector and connected to said louvers, means for actuating said pawl carrier to swing said louvers to open position,

a pawl on said pawl carrier, means normally holding said pawl in engagement with of said sector and co-operating means on said sector and pawl operable to release and withhold said. pawl from ena pawl carrier pivotally mounted thereon, a pawl gagement with the teeth of said sector when the louvers are swung beyond a predetermined position.

9. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a series of louvers pivotally mounted thereon, means normally maintaining said louvers in closed position, a toothed sector mounted on said frame, a pawl carrier pivotally mounted on said sector nd connected to said louvers, means for actuatin g said pawl carrier to move said louvers toward open position, apawl on said pawl carrien'a spring connected to said pawl'and to said pawl carrier adapted to be swung from one side of the pawl of said pivot to the other and co-oper'ating means upon 'said sector and pawl operable to oscillate said pawl into. engagement and thereby cause said spring to hold the pawl in engagement with the teeth of'said sector during the opening of said louvers to a predetermined position and thereafter to release and with,

hold said pawlfrom engagement with said teethto permit the closing ofsaid louvers and to restore said pawl into engagement with said teeth when said. louvers approach closed positioiri In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES F. HOPEWELL. 

